Care
Phacelia is a semi-desert plant that does not grow on wet and poorly permeable soils. Due to the abundant and rapid flowering, it requires a fairly rich soil. When growing phacelia in the garden, you need to add a large dose of compost to the soil and feed it with full-component fertilizer just before flowering. During the summer heat, the plant should be watered. The difference between blooming phacelia in natural conditions and in a garden with access to water is enormous. The lack of water in hot weather causes a significant reduction in the flowering period. Phacelia is grown for only two years.
It is better to choose low varieties, enchant with an abundance of flowers on a compact bush. A great idea is to plant phacelia in balcony boxes. Don't make the mistake of planting a flower (as recommended by other gardeners) in porcelain or ceramic pots. In the case of ceramics, small containers, not as abundant flowering plants as in a flower bed.
When grown in a flowerbed, it gives self-seeding, which in the western part of the country can rise in spring
You need to pay attention to the characteristic gray or brownish leaves and do not remove them
How to choose?
For each grower, the choice of culture is completely dependent on personal preference. If you want to bloom all summer long, you can opt for Takion blue as it blooms repeatedly.
You should pay attention to a number of nuances. For example, how the area is located, is there a lot of sun or more shade
How deep the groundwater goes. The terrain is flat or mountainous. How much the area is planted with other crops.
In a bright single landing, the tall "Snow White" will look good.
When purchasing planting material in the store, carefully examine it. The plant should look healthy and the roots should not be damaged. The best option is to buy a flower along with an earthen clod, then the likelihood of damage to the root system during transplantation is reduced.
Having decided to plant the bell with seeds, it is better to purchase them in a specialized store. This will increase the likelihood of obtaining varietal plants. In this case, the main thing is to correctly plant the bell.
Propagation by cuttings
These flowers can be propagated by cuttings. In the second year after planting the plant, in the spring, when the stem is formed, the healthiest shoot is chosen and a cutting is made. It must have at least three internodes. The leaves are removed from it so that they do not take away the strength of the plant.
The stalk is planted in a well-moistened soil. The two internodes must remain on the surface. Cover the stem with a cut plastic bottle or glass jar.
We hope that now an elegant bell "cup and saucer" will appear on your site. Growing from the seeds of this plant, as you can see, is not too difficult. Observing all the rules of planting and care, you can admire the luxurious flowering all summer long.
Bell A cup and saucer is one of the most popular plants for landscaping the site. The plant is also called the Chinese service for large flowers of an unusual shape, resembling a teacup on a saucer. Flower lovers grow bells in gardens and decorate outdoor terraces
Caring for the plant is not difficult, but there are several nuances that you must pay attention to in order to get a guaranteed result.
The middle bell is the most common species in the plots. The plant is two years old, but it is grown as a perennial, since it is renewed naturally.
Gardeners appreciate the culture for its incredibly beautiful flowers, collected in racemose inflorescences. Depending on the variety, the flowers are double, especially large and smooth.The colors are varied and very delicate. The most common varieties: Cup and saucer, Dwarf, Snow White, Christel, Alba, Loddon Anne, Celestina, White Star, Crimson ringing, Vanilla clouds, Pink gramophone.
A cup and saucer is an erect bell with a coarse-bristled stem. A rather unpretentious variety pleases with flowering almost all summer. A weakened plant with poor immunity can become infected with powdery mildew or spider mites.
Flowers
Flowering begins in the second season, in early summer, and ends in September. Smooth flowers are large, up to 7-8 cm in diameter. The exquisite shape resembles a bell with outward curved edges and a porcelain saucer (see photo). There are different shades: white, pink, blue, violet-blue. Abundant flowering, up to 50 flowers open simultaneously on the plant.
Peculiarities
The aroma of the blooming bell Chinese service is pleasant and unobtrusive. It is interesting that the folk names of the plant are always sonorous, associated with sounds: "bawls", "bells", "keys", "balabolki". According to legend, the gentle ringing of bells could actually be heard only once a year - on the eve of the festive night on the day of Ivan Kupala.
Origin
The plant is native to the southern regions of Europe, where it was first found. The first mentions date back to the 16th century. The flower lovers liked the bell so much that they began to grow it in gardens, selecting the most beautiful and largest specimens for further selection.
Application
In landscape design, the plant looks great in groups in mixborders, flower beds, flower beds, and alone when framing paths, lawns. Terraces and balconies The Chinese service will also perfectly decorate, as it feels good in large pots. In bouquets and flower arrangements, florists willingly use bells, which are cut for at least a week.
How to plant seeds for seedlings
If it is necessary to obtain seedlings, then shallow boxes filled with sand and peat soil will be required. The seeds only need to be pressed lightly into the soil. Temperature range + 18–20 ° C. After 7-14 days, you can see the first shoots. After the seedlings can be transferred to another room, where the temperature will be + 16-18 ° C.
An important rule is careful watering of the soil. Further care of seedlings is carried out in the same way as for adult plants.
The first time you water, be careful not to wash the seeds. Kosmeya is a thermophilic flower
Colds are destructive for her, especially for young shoots. For disembarkation, an open, sunny place is chosen, without drafts and gusts of wind. The ideal soil for a plant is moderately nutritious, neutral or slightly acidic. When planting seedlings in open ground, the height of the flower should be at least 6 cm. For planting grown seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to prepare shallow holes, keeping a distance of 30–35 cm
Kosmeya is a thermophilic flower. Colds are destructive for her, especially for young shoots. For disembarkation, an open, sunny place is chosen, without drafts and gusts of wind. The ideal soil for a plant is moderately nutritious, neutral or slightly acidic. When planting seedlings in open ground, the height of the flower should be at least 6 cm. To plant grown seedlings in open ground, it is necessary to prepare shallow holes, keeping a distance of 30–35 cm.
After planting, the plants need to be watered abundantly.
It is important to avoid stagnant water. If the variety is tall, you need to take care of a garter or support.
After the height of the bush is 50 cm, pinch the tops of the stems. Then the plant will come out more lush and beautiful.
Cosmea is watered often and abundantly. In hot weather, watering is carried out 1-2 times a week. For one bush, you need about 40-50 liters of water. The earth must be loosened periodically. Removing weeds is a must in the care of the cosmos. This measure will avoid slowing growth.
Fertilizing kosmeya is also necessary.It is enough to use growth stimulants 1-2 times a month. They are poured not only under the roots of plants, but also sprayed with the leaves. It is necessary to introduce mineral / organic fertilizers 2-3 times during the season.
For longer flowering, wilted inflorescences must be cut off.
Kosmeya is resistant to diseases and pests. For immature bushes, snails and slugs are dangerous. If they are found, they are collected by hand.
Cosmeya can be planted in a flower garden, along the fence, at the curb. It is often planted between vegetable beds, shrubs or trees.
Kosmeya goes well with other flowers, but it is important to take into account their color and height in order to make the flower bed as effective as possible.
Varieties
- Mix of colors - height 80 cm. Double flowers, large, goblet-bell-shaped of various colors, 6-8 cm in diameter. Blossoms in June-September. Biennial.
- Terry mixture of colors - height 80 cm. Terry flowers with a diameter of 6-8 cm, collected in large pyramidal inflorescences. Cut flowers stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
- A cup and saucer is a popular medium bell variety. Height 80 cm. The flower's cup of original shape resembles a cup standing on a saucer. Mix of colors.
- Carminrose - height 80 cm. Flowers are carmine-pink in color, 6-8 cm in diameter, collected in large inflorescences. Blooms June-September.
- Snezhana - height 80 cm.It blooms with snow-white flowers 6-8 cm in diameter.
- Crimson ringing - height 75 cm. Terry flowers, a mixture of colors.
- Campana white - height 75-85 cm, grown in a greenhouse or open field. The flowers are snow-white.
- Rosea - height 80 cm, with pink flowers.
- Cerulea is a variety with rich purple flowers. Height 80 cm
- Merry gramophone - a mixture of colors, It is distinguished by an erect, coarse-haired stem.
- The dream is a variety with an erect, stiff-haired stem, 80 cm high. The leaves are oblong-oval, stems are ovate-lanceolate. The flowers are large, pink, 4-5 cm in diameter, collected in pyramidal inflorescences, 30-50 cm long. Blooms in June-July.
- Alba is a variety with white pyramidal buds that resemble an ice cream cone.
- Cantenberry Bells is a variety with pyramidal inflorescences. Biennial 80 cm high.Color mix
- Crimson rose is a biennial with pink inflorescences. Flowering period June-July. Height 70-80.
- Rhapsody is a mixture with terry inflorescences of various colors, white, pink, lilac and purple.
Rules for care and cultivation in the garden
A cup and saucer will grow even with minimal supervision, but abundant long-term flowering is possible only under certain conditions. The bell needs watering, loosening the soil, feeding.
The Chinese service does not like the constant abundant moisture of the soil. Seed beds are sprayed with a spray bottle. Regular watering during bud formation is considered mandatory. In dry hot weather, it is necessary to irrigate flower beds as the earth dries up. Small and rare flowers are a sign of a lack of moisture. It is better to settle water for irrigation in containers or collect rainwater.
The rest of the time, the bells very steadfastly endure a slight drought, and often die from waterlogging. At the end of the summer season, during the rainy season, the plants stop watering, otherwise the root system can rot.
In well-prepared soil, seedlings from seeds appear friendly, strong and do not require additional feeding. Bells are fertilized in the second year of life. The first time is in early spring, when the protective layer of branches or foliage is removed from the outlets. The solution is made as follows: 30-40 g of ammonium nitrate per 10 liters of water, water the beds and flower beds.
During the formation of buds, the bells are fed a second time, they use the infusion of weeds, ash. Of mineral fertilizers used:
- Kemira (500 g per 1 sq. M.);
- Agricola (50 ml per 10 liters of water);
- Pocon (100 ml per 10 liters of water).
After watering, the soil in the root space of the bells must be loosened.Weeds are removed at the same time.
Rotted manure, compost are often used as mulch, and peat is undesirable, since it acidifies the earth. Organic substances simultaneously act as fertilizers on poor soils.
Bells do not need to be pinned. During flowering, they pinch and remove flowers that have withered so that the plant does not waste energy on ripening the seeds. In the fall of the first year, they carry out mandatory pruning of the leaves.
If the plant becomes drooping and yellowish, the stems and leaves lose their elasticity with proper care, a good solution would be to transplant to another place or drain the soil. The transplant is carried out in case of depletion of the soil or changes in relief conditions.
The bell is dug out together with a clod of earth, keeping the root system from damage as much as possible. The planting hole should be larger than a lump with roots, and for better rooting, it is necessary to regularly spray the leaves during the adaptation period.
Bell A cup and saucer needs shelter for the winter only in areas with severe winters. Do not insulate a plant planted in the southern region. With the onset of spring, the roots can dry out and die from excess heat. In areas with a temperate climate, bells are insulated in the fall with sawdust and branches. A layer of snow on top will help to winter without consequences.
How to care?
To grow a healthy and beautiful ampel violet, she needs to be provided with care, which involves taking into account the following simple rules.
Both direct light and diffused light are suitable for the plant in question (in the first case, it blooms more abundantly, but for a shorter duration). If ampelous viola is grown in a hot region, being in the midday sun is contraindicated for it.
The optimum temperature for the described violet is in the range of 10-25 ° C. She does not tolerate heat well, which often leads to interruptions in flowering. At the same time, short-term cold snaps up to 3-5 ° C and even lower (depending on the variety) do not harm it.
Watering the ampelous viola should be daily and abundant, but not excessive. This means that the drying out of the earthy coma cannot be allowed, but it is also not worth pouring the plant into it.
Throughout the growing season, the ampelous violet must be fed with mineral fertilizers - superphosphate or ammonium nitrate (the recommended dosage is 30 g per sq. M). The optimal frequency of such procedures is every 2 decades.
If the violet flowers become smaller, and the lashes turn yellow and dry out, she needs pruning, which involves shortening the stems in half
In some situations, when the plant has completely lost its decorative effect, it is radically renewed, leaving 5-6 cm of the length of the shoots (it is important that they have leaves).
One of the main enemies of ampelous viola are fungal diseases, which most often develop in conditions of high humidity. The fight against them involves the removal of the affected areas and the treatment of plants with a broad-spectrum fungicide.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the regular loosening of the soil and the elimination of weeds that prevent the full development of the plant in question. Observing these recommendations, every florist can achieve the optimal result - both very experienced and with a minimum set of skills.
Observing these recommendations, every florist can achieve an optimal result - both very experienced and with a minimum set of skills.
How to plant and care for the ampelous viola, see below.
Reproduction methods
The easiest and most common way to breed bells is to grow from seeds. This method involves planting in the first season and flowering in the second. Seeds germinate only in the dark, this feature must be taken into account.
Timing
Seeds are sown in open ground in late April-early May, when the soil temperature is not lower than + 4 ° C. Bells are often grown by the winter method - the seeds are scattered on the garden bed in the second half of October, in the fall.To obtain early seedlings, sowing is carried out in boxes with soil in March.
Preparation
Soil preparation is an important step in the successful production of strong seedlings. The best soil is a mixture of 6 parts turf, 3 parts rotten compost and 1 part clean river sand.
For seedlings, plastic containers or wooden boxes are selected, which must be checked for holes to drain excess moisture. Flowerbeds and beds on the site are made high and with a mandatory drainage layer at the bottom if water stagnates in this place.
Planting process
The prepared soil is watered, then sowing is started. Step-by-step description:
The soil is lightly compacted, creating a flat surface.
The seeds are spread evenly over the surface.
Sprinkle lightly on top with fine, clean sand, without embedding it into the soil.
Cover from above with glass, film, special material
The temperature for the emergence of sprouts is about + 20 ° C.
It is important that germination takes place in the dark, so the glass is darkened, and the film is chosen dark.
Beds and boxes must be ventilated every day.
2-3 weeks after the appearance of seedlings, they are dived. The distance between the plants is at least 10 cm.
The bells are seated in a permanent place a month after the first pick, the distance of one plant to another is 25-40 cm.
Cuttings
Cuttings are planted under a film, after cutting off the lower leaves from them. The soil must be moistened, and at least two internodes are left above the ground. Young shoots of the second year are used for cuttings, the lower cut is powdered with Kornevin and carefully immersed in the ground. Rooting occurs within 2-4 weeks.
